“The league does not have a problem with hard fouls on our two main guys. In nine games now there’s been over a dozen hard fouls to the face, some of the tomahawk variety, some have drawn blood. They don’t have a problem with it so we don’t have a problem with it. We’ll focus on what we can control.”

That was Heat coach Erik Spoelstra between games five and six of of the Heat’s series against the Pacers, after blood was drawn on a foul against Dwyane Wade and it was Udonis Haslem‘s retaliation that got the Heat forward suspended for a game. Which, actually was the right call but it’s not how it played in the Heat locker room.

Friday the league came down on Spoelstra with a $25,000 fine. Because while everyone else can criticize the officials players and coaches cannot. It undermines the product in the eyes of the NBA.

Not cheap for Heat, but Spoelstra is willing to pay it to let the team know he has their back.